Bhangar People's Movement Advances and Further Consolidates

OVERCOMING the economic blockade and encirclement and suppression imposed by TMC government the people’s movement against the Power Grid project in Bhangar is advancing mobilizing increasing number of people in surrounding areas. The 49 hours hunger strike from 30th June evening successfully ended on 2nd July evening with massive participation of local people and by various political parties and mass movements except TMC and BJP. The Committee has declared a Mass March to Bhangar from all parts of the state and with the participation of all forces supporting the movement on 30th July.

Though the legal process was getting delayed, and though the state police came out with a flimsy charge sheet alleging extremist connections of the arrested leaders, nothing could stop the release of the arrested comrades; not only almost all leaders of the Bhangar Committee from the villages, but also the leaders of the Solidarity Committee, comrades Kushal Devnath, a leading comrade of MKP and Sankar Das, Central Committee member of the Party were released on bail by 25th July. All the comrades on whom provisions of UAPA are imposed, including comrades Pradip Singh Thakur, PB member and secretary of the WB state committee of the Party along with com. Sharmistha, Central Committee member of the party and general secretary of AIRWO are expected to be released on bail before the march to Bhangar.

It is a very significant fact that through a nine month long protracted resistance struggle during which large number of leading comrades were arrested, and during which the people’s movement had to confront fierce attacks by TMC goons, economic blockade and encirclement and suppression, under the leadership of the Committee for Protection of Land, Livelihood, Ecology and Environment the people stood firmly and continued the movement with determination. It has created a positive objective situation to build a powerful people’s alternative in the state against the forces of reaction. Let us hope that with the release of all comrades and with the Bhangar march on 30th July the second phase of the movement shall begin, the phase of politically and organizationally consolidating the gains and expanding to state level, the work which is already initiated. 